The alleged appointment of a strategic advisor to Makana Mayor Vumile Lwana without following proper selection procedures has been met with fury from the official opposition in the council.
The alleged appointment of a strategic advisor to Makana Mayor Vumile Lwana without following proper selection procedures has been met with fury from the official opposition in the council.
According to minutes tabled during a council meeting held last week, the post of Strategic Advisor to the Executive Mayor was approved by the mayoral committee last month.
However, the approval was not tabled in front of the council instead the council asked for the matter to be postponed to the next meeting.
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance chief whip Michael Whisson says: “I am led to believe that it was acted on immediately by the mayor and the post filled with effect from 1 March 2010 by one Mr Lesoro, who was not introduced at the council meeting on 9 March as would normally be the case with a new senior appointment.”
In an email sent to Makana Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart, Whisson wrote that he could not see that there is any provision made in the Municipal Structures or Systems Acts for Lwana to “head hunt” a person for a political post funded by the council, or even that a position can be filled without following a proper selection process.
During its meeting in December last year the council resolved that the item on the creation of the post be deferred to the next meeting. The issue, however, was not discussed during special council meetings in January and February.
Lwana told Grocott’s Mail yesterday that no such appointment has been made as the creation of the post had been put on hold. “The selection process did not happen, it’s been put on hold until all the processes around it have been followed properly,” he added.
However, a source in the council said Potose Lesoro has been officially appointed to the post and that he reported for work last week.
“A spanner in the works is the fact that Baart is hesitant to sign his letter of appointment,” added the source. Makana spokesperson Thandy Matebese said the concerns about the appointment raised by the South African Municipal Workers Union would be forwarded to all “other levels” of council.
“[The] seven days [announced by the union]gives the Municipal Manager enough time to come up with a solution,” he added. Whisson said: “The creation of a Section 57 post whose occupant does not report through the Municipal Manager, but directly to the Executive Mayor is a recipe for divisiveness in the administration.”
The special mayoral committee meeting which was held last month resolved that Lwana be allowed to “immediately head-hunt” the suitable candidate for the post of strategic advisor since the position is a political post. The meeting further resolved that the contract of employmentbe linked with Lwana’s term of office.
